I assume it was a figure of speech but who knows. Sometimes these people do strange things onstage!

Great points about King developing more respect for the powers and only calling on them in ritual when it is really needed and how he does include this in his lyrics about these things that he talks about in interviews.

Wonder if King has ever summoned a Power form the Goetia or Necronomicon which he owns number 666 of.

Yikes! What would you do if you were face-to-face with the singer from one of the "most satanic bands" in metal? Cringe? Hold up a silver cross? Well, if you were face-to-face with Kim (King Diamond's real name), you'd probably respond with kindness to this nice guy. In fact, instead of threatening with curses and spells, the guy was all too eager to talk about down-to-earth things like football. . Of course, since this isn't a football magazine, we got on to other subjects. Read on and enjoy...

HM: If you could boil down the message of your music into one theme, let's say King D., what would that be?

King D: The message in the music?

HM: Yeah.

King D: I'm touching a lot on people's feelings on the inside. I deal a lot with people's minds, what's going on there. How we get along, how we don't get along, why we get along. I like very much to raise questions and make people think. You will never, in any of our lyrics, find me saying, "Don't do this and that, because that is wrong." That is something that goes very much with my philosophy and my beliefs-that nobody is right or wrong. Right and wrong is very individual. You've got to respect that, you know? There are laws that need to be followed, because that enables us to live in peace. And you know what's gonna happen if you break them. But, apart from that, pretty much live out your feelings. Do what you feel is right inside. But-right and wrong-you've got to respect that it's very individual. One person might feel that it's right to do this thing and another person might feel, "Oh, I can't do that" but you can't condemn other people for having a different opinion. That very much is also the thing when it comes to religious beliefs. I am very strong minded about respecting other people's religious beliefs. I always have been like that. If I did not do that, I would not be accepting human beings as individuals. We are all individuals. Individual means "unique; one of a kind." You have very different thoughts, feelings, needs, everything. You've got to respect that. I have always had high respect (for others) as long as people don't try to force their thoughts, or their ways on to other people-then I have no problem with them. The human race likes to judge other people by religious beliefs, unfortunately. I wish that was not the case; that people could start judging each other by our personalities, because it would be a much better world. If there is somebody whose being a real jerk to you, sure, treat him the same way. Maybe you can solve it, or maybe you just don't need to associate with that person. But if the person is great to be around, or puts you in a good mood, you should-if it seems to be a good thing for you. And it doesn't matter what that person believes in private, whether he's Christian, Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, or whatever. It doesn't matter what they believe in private, because they are different from you, no matter what you say. And you are never going to make them believe whatever you believe in exactly the same way. It's impossible. You take ten people that believe in any kind of religion, and give them a hundred questions each about their religion and you will up with ten different religions. When you start talking religious beliefs, you are not talking a fact that you can prove and show to another person. Nobody can prove to another person that their god is the right one. Nobody can. That's always been my very strong philosophy, or standpoint. We are all different. Nobody can come to me and say," Hey, listen. It says so right here and here; therefore it's proof that this is right." Well, give me the proof. Let me see. Show it in your hand. Open your hand and let me see the proof right there. You can't do that, because it is a belief. Some people might be convinced that they're right, and can't believe others don't believe the same ways. But that is fine. If you feel good about your life; being a Protestant or whatever. Well, then stay a Protestant, you know? Why would you go and be something else? My religious beliefs are something that I have not found in any books whatsoever.

I go by a philosophy that's got a label that is called "Satanism" because Anton La Vey wrote a book called the Satanic Bible, which is full of life philosophy, and doesn't really concern itself with any type of religious messages or religious guidelines. Actually, his book has a giant void when it comes to religious beliefs, and that's for one specific reason. You've got to respect other beings for being different, having different needs, and different feelings. Don't direct them into what they should believe. Let them pick and choose from whatever they feel is the right thing for them. Then you can start going into what actually I do believe, why I am here, have I been here before, and all those things. I don't believe in Heaven and Hell. I don't believe in the two Christian gods, personally. God and Satan, I don't believe in them, that way they're described by Christianity. It would be a very long monologue for me to tell you exactly what I believe. You get kind of that feeling now. The things that I believe in is something that I have not seen in any books. I've had quite a few long discussions with people about this stuff. They get very surprised. There are thongs that I've asked questions about, to myself. A typical example is like a two-year old kid getting run over by a truck. Why? Why did this have to happen? Who can give me a rational explanation? When it comes to a situation like this, you know, why on earth does a thing like this happen? I've been able to satisfy my own curiosity, and answer the question to myself in the way that I believe. I do believe that we all have a soul which we might take with us to several lives, actually. I believe very strongly, that for each power there is - call it a soul or whatever - that power or soul has to live several lives, to experience all kinds of feelings that exist before it's able to cross over to a higher plane of some kind, or a different type of world. What the content of that thing is, I have no idea. I very strongly believe that. I believe that when you've been on Earth through one lifetime, you go beyond, and there you leave all the knowledge, and everything you've experienced, all the things you've experienced. You leave it somewhere in kind of a storage around us. That's why sometimes we feel like, you know, there are spirits or ghosts around us. But I believe that you come back down with a very tiny part of that, and continue in another lifetime, gaining more experience and other feelings. And finally at some point, you go to a place beyond; you're ready to go on to this higher level. You've probably heard stories that a person has been able to describe being buried in great detail, and it's never been written in any books or anything. People describe things that they have no chance of knowing. I believe that the reason for that is they have had a very short, brief moment of connection to where all the former experiences are stored. And that way they suck some knowledge in, and they're able to describe something from their former life. And then you get to the point where, "Why did this two-year-old die, get run over by a truck, and not ever live a full life? Well, if you think of it this way, maybe that soul, after those two years, the whole experience of every feeling there is had been fulfilled. And there was no reason for this soul inside this two-year-old kid to go on any longer because now it's going on to this other type of world of existence. And that's the only way I've been able to explain to myself - to find some kind of meaning on that type of death, where it just seems like, "I can't believe this. Why did this happen? "And the same thing, where you might find a plane going down with 50 people on it, you know. And three people miraculously survived. It seems impossible. And it's kind of like, all of a sudden, 47 on this plane are so close to fulfilling all these kings of feelings. It is very convenient for this plane to go down, and they can all go on. But hey, wait a minute!!! There's three people here that are not quite ready yet. They haven't had all the experience. Well, we can make them survive.

HM: That's interesting. I agree with you in principle, in part, that each person is an individual. I think it's wonderful that we are all unique.

King D: You've got to accept other people. You can't say, "That's (bleep) and that makes sense and when it says that in that book you're believing, it contradicts that." Hey, you don't need to have those discussions. You don't actually have to talk about it. If that person is satisfied by whatever book that guides them in their spiritual life, fine. What's the problem? There are no problems. We can just be a little different as human beings, and accept ourselves as human beings.

HM: I happen to believe that there are absolutes, But I think It's far more effective to ask people questions, and make them question things, and make up their own choice, because you have to individualize your decisions.

King D: And you can't let other people live your life for you. I don't believe that is the meaning and purpose in life.

HM: Yeah, if your philosophy was built around me, what if something happened to me? Then where would your philosophy be? It's got to be something that you individualize, and come to your own conclusions.

King D: Absolutely, yeah.

HM: Well, what do you think of Jesus Christ?

King D: What do I think of Jesus Christ....? I'm not a Christian. I don't believe in either God or Satan, the way they are depicted. I don't believe in Jesus the way He's depicted either. I don't believe in the bible. I do see that there is a lot of good morale in the Bible. To me, it's a book that is way outdated. A thing that would make sense for Christians, I think, would be to update the Bible. That might actually bring more people into that type of belief. But you talk about Jesus... I think that this book must have been written by a lot of different people. At some point, all Scripture has been put into one by someone. If you look at that, He probably was, but I don't see the Jesus figure in the Bible as being just one person. I see that as being a lot of people that have been described. I see it almost as what was determined by witches and witchcraft in the fourteenth century. I see that as being a lot of different people who knew about medicine, and herbs, ointments, and how you can actually battle certain diseases with natural medicine. I believe that had a lot to do with that back then. Things that were being described.. I believe that, in medicine, somebody had ointments that were applied to this person, and it made the suffering less, and maybe covered up some of that stuff for awhile. And then that thing has been turned into something much bigger. And I think it's the same thing you would have known if you had taken rumors. For instance, I've died several times according to rumors. Once, my record label called me from New York to Copenhagen. It was right after Christmas. They said,"Is it really you? You're not dead?" I'm like, "What are you talking about? I hope not, I'm talking to you!" They said,"Oh, God! I thought you were dead!" What the (bleep) is this? What had happened was I had driven some friends home after New Year's Eve, actually. It was snowing, and it was in the middle of Copenhagen, where I dropped these people off. I was driving home by myself. I stopped at a red light. It was snowing heavily and I see the cab driver coming up behind me, and I noticed he was driving to fast. So I grabbed my steering wheel and really tightened up, you know, because I knew he was gonna hit me. He didn't hit me at a very big speed or anything. I got a little bend in my bumper. He pushed me halfway into the crossing that I was waiting at. Some people heard about that, you know, and from one mouth to the next, it was like,"Yeah, I heard he was in an accident - a car hit him" And the next thing was,"Yeah, I think he ended up in the hospital, too. It was pretty serious." And the next time it was like,"Yeah, I heard he died in a car crash in Denmark." You know what I'm saying?

HM: Yeah

King D: It gets blown out of proportion. You tell one guy one thing on the phone, and you say,"Please tell this other guy what I just told you." Then it comes back and you say,"What the (bleep)'s going on?" They're like, "Oh, I hear this and that..." I believe that Jesus in the bible is actually a lot of people who had certain gifts where they knew how to treat people, and then these things might have been told from person to person and blown out of proportion. But that's my personal view on that.

« Last Edit: August 01, 2015, 08:15:12 am by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

HM: I can't remember having heard that before. What led to your decision, or your opinion about the bible being changed as it was passed on? What led to you coming to that conclusion?

King D: I would say it's not a thing you just realize one day. It's a gradual thing that the more you experience as a human being, the more you are spiritually aware of what's going on. The thing is that when you come through life, the more you experience, the more you've got to look at these things. You grow up. I might change my mind down the road, too, you know? The main thing is, be open minded. That's the only way you'll learn. If you totally close down you mind, and don't open it to anybody else...well, good luck. Live in your little bubble and get stuck there. I am open minded. It comes to what we talked about before: human beings, if one person dresses this way or that way, I don't care. If that's their way, it's cool. It doesn't mean I don't want to be seen with them, or be around them. I live in a nice neighborhood; I might have a nice car. I might have a friend that drives an old piece of (bleep) Volkswagen that can barely stay together. See, some people might feel embarrassed for having a person like that over. "No, I don't want to be seen with that person, or have his car in the driveway." You're missing something. This person might have something for you that you could really benefit from just by talking to him. One thing you see often is people trying to lift themselves above other people. They think they're better than other people just because other people are different. You could learn a lot from them, you know? The guy that's driving the Volkswagen, you know, this person is nice. Who cares whether he's driving this or that? Who cares whether his jeans are holey and he can't afford anything else? There might be a lot of value inside that person that you could get something out of. And that goes for everything in this world. If you have an open mind, you will get a lot further than you would otherwise.

HM: One question about credibility, I wanted to ask if you've ever considered...I've been impressed with when I look at some of the credibility of Christ, and the claims he made that he actually had 500 witnesses at his resurrection according to the Bible. And that's like, if you were going to try and make a claim to something, having witnesses around sure helps your claim. I've searched out some claims that kind of contradict the validity of the bible, and I've come to the conclusion, personally, that contradictory claims don't hold a lot of water for me. I wondered if you've considered, like some of the claims of the resurrection, and some of the things like the roman stone that was placed over the grave and those 500 claims don't hold a lot of water for me. I wondered if you've considered, like some of the claims of the resurrection, and some of the things like the roman stone that was placed over the grave and those 500 people that saw Him at one time, and the lack of 500 books that said, "This is not true, this is a big lie."

King D: I know what you're saying exactly. It's just because of the way I believe that the Bible was written, I can't take anything there for granted-for being exact. Not to me anyway. Even when they crucified Christ, it could have been anybody they crucified, because they did do a lot of crucifixions, you know that. But the story about all this and that: It could've been anybody up there that somebody saw. And you feel very emotional seeing this guy actually giving this criminal/convict that he might have been, something to drink, hanging on the cross. It might have been something that had a big impact on him. So he wrote it down. About the stone, and him coming up, and all this. I do believe in ghosts. I do believe that these powers are stored beyond and are able to cross over into our world as well. I have been in a situation where I can say, I had some witnesses; how credible are my witnesses? My brother, and my old drummer from Mercyful Fate, we were sitting in my living room, and we did see a table rise into thin air. And we were not discussing these things. We were not drunk. We never did drugs. There was no way three people could see this thing happen, because of a mass psychosis or something-there was no way. You go talk to those two people; I guarantee they'll sat the same thing, because they were there. They saw it. But how much credibility does that have? It loses credibility if you have a different kind of spiritual belief. Then you will fall into that, you know. Since, I would say, that it's not proof to me that it's written in a book that's 2,000 years old, that there were 500 people there, that there were actually 500 people there. The thing today, David Copperfield can make anything happen. And you know, if he did an illusion like he does today, back then...oh man, you know? It's like, today, you know, it's tricks and stuff like that, but he can make buildings disappear. And these things are just like, in my book, when I look back at these things on what has happened and what is supposed to be right and wrong, and historically correct, or not...But, on the other hand, you know, there might have been 500 people there. There might have been a spirit rising from a grave. I believe that is possible. Whether it was the spirit of Jesus, or as I said, my belief in Jesus is that many different people who have walked the earth and done different things and then they have an impact on some people, and then they have told it to other people, and it might have been magnified that way. That is only my personal view. That does not mean that it's that way, or that it's not. Do you see what I'm saying about this?

HM: Yeah.

King D: It's hard for me to take something as proof, you know? But I'm not saying, on the other hand, it didn't happen, because in my book, that would be a possibility-that a spirit would rise from a grave through a stone. I have a song on the next King Diamond album called, "The Grave Yard", where I want to show the society of the grave yard. We're not sure what's actually going on there and who's in control of that. If you're buried over there, then what are you're tasks in this grave yard? Hoe so you get accepted in this society and what will your duties be? You have a whole society in a grave yard, and try to describe the ways that they actually rise through that stone, and how they get up at night and do certain things. And I believe that these manifestations, ghosts, or powers, you know, definitely happen. So therefore, I would not say that I don't believe it, that it's not true. But I would, on the other hand, say that I would not believe that it was Jesus Christ the way He is depicted in the Bible. I'm not wanting to try to convince anybody that He's right or wrong. It always fascinates me so much, and I could talk for days with people about these things.

One thing I realize now is how the lyrics to the song "Killer" are wrong. I say in there "I should have never been born" is false. Now as we discuss my beliefs I see that. Because I believe you must experience every feeling you can so that lyric is wrong. You might have to experience the feeling of killing in order for your soul to move on. Now it could come from being a judge ordering a mans death as punishment or being forced to kill like in a war. You can experience a feeling in different ways. Or you may have to experience rape. Now I am not saying at all to do these things as it happens naturally and you may have done these things in a past life to experience this. Sometimes I look at people and wonder if there are 3 or 8 powers in them now if they are living their 3rd or 8th life here now and if this life is a good one as they need to experience that now or if it is a bad one they need to mostly experience now in order for their power to grow. I believe these powers sway around us keeping this balance. It is like every time something is fixed like a cure for a disease something else comes up. Because as I believe we must experience all kinds of possible feelings good and bad through several lives before we can move on.

HM: I'd like to. Maybe if...are you coming to Austin on Halloween?

King D: On Halloween? I don't think so. We're gonna be touring, as you know, through January.

HM: Maybe we can continue the conversation sometime over dinner, or something. That would be great.

King D: Oh yeah. Absolutely, man! I'd also like to hear more on your side. I know you're...that is one thing, because of what I believe, and how I live my life, you know? One thing I've made a big issue out of is to try and talk as much as possible to our fans about our albums. That's the same thing I said about the guy in the Volkswagen, who you could learn a lot from. I have learned so much from our fans. A good critic, a lot of times, there might be stuff that they'll tell me that I will think about, and then I will decide if it does make sense to me. And sometimes, they have said stuff that, like, "Oh man, you've got a point." If they're buying the stuff out there, it's not like...I will not change my inner feelings and what I put into my music. But sometimes, they come up with stuff that makes very good sense, that I haven't thought about myself, you know? It helps to open your ears and mind, and listen.

HM: One more quick question: You told a story at Foundations Forum, where you mentioned some girl that kept bugging you to show her something tangible to see. And assuming from that story, that you've had some experience with what people might call spells, or with spirits, have you ever experienced the power of somebody saying the name of "Jesus?"

King D: No, I have seen several other, many stages of different things, like the rising glass, and the thing where the girl was pulled out by the hair, and I have been pulled by the hair too. There was nobody there. Things started happening in my apartment one night when I got home. Many things: It's not just me, my brother, and the other band members who have been in my apartment, and have experienced some strange things. Not in a bad, violent way. Some people will assume its negative, because they're scared of it, you know? I'm not. I have a very comfortable feeling, in a strange way. It manifests to me, it has proven to me that there are things out there that have power. Things are going on. It kind of helped me in the way that I've looked at the spiritual life, and I've had many experiences like this. My wife too, and it's not like people get in a certain mode, or start thinking things, or anything. I would spend days trying to explain it in a logical way. That would mostly be if I'm alone. But even when I'm with someone else, and two, three, or four people see the same thing, we're just like, "Whoa, this is strange!" They'll try to explain it all kinds of ways, and they'll come to the conclusion, "Okay this was definitely something supernatural."

« Last Edit: September 12, 2016, 09:41:12 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

So, King Diamond. What inspired your macabre heavy-metal act? Could it be . . . Satan?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes.

On the basis of appearances alone, the Danish singer who is bringing his heavy-metal quintet to the Trocadero tonight is enough to set the blood of an entire PTA chapter boiling.

First of all, he paints his face in a black, red and white fright mask that includes bat wings over his eyes and an inverted cross on his forehead. He wears a flowing black cape, plays fierce head-banger music and sings in a voice that fluctuates between an ominous baritone and an absurd falsetto that sounds like rats scratching at a blackboard.

Bizarre? Yes. Unique? Hardly. These aspects of King Diamond place him in that crowded field of "black" metal bands already occupied by Grim Reaper, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and many others.

What sets King apart from the rest of the slash-and-burn set is the fact that he is its only admitted practicing Satanist.

"The word Satan covers the powers of the unknown," says the 31-year-old. ''I don't believe in God and Satan as they're described in the Bible. I don't believe (Satan is) a guy with horns and a long tail who's ruling in a place called Hell.

"I have performed Satanic rituals, and I've seen and heard spirits," says King, who became interested in the occult as a teenager in Copenhagen. ''People instantly misunderstand and take it that you must be an evil person who is performing rituals which include sacrificing animals and maybe even babies. But all that stuff is sick lies."

King's last group, Mercyful Fate, included in its repertoire ditties like ''Evil," "Into the Coven," "Come to the Sabbath" and "Satan's Fall." When he formed his own band of Danish and Swedish musicians in 1985, he made a conscious decision to omit references to Satan or Lucifer from the lyrics.

Not that he had a change of heart. He just didn't want to alienate potential fans. King is a savvy businessman who co-manages the group and handles the bookkeeping, tour negotiations, merchandising and fan club. Every song he has recorded has been in English in order to maximize his market.

"I want to look upon ourselves as purely entertainers," he says. "I have my private philsophy and beliefs, but I'm not preaching. I don't want to convert anybody. We're entertainers, and it's a horror show we put on, and that's what it's all about."

The stage spectacle, heavily influenced by Alice Cooper, includes an altar, a coffin, flames galore, skulls and other paraphernalia. Through his 10-week tour of the States, he has been carting around a huge replica of a haunted castle's walls, but in the clubs he plays, there is rarely room on stage to assemble it.

"It's very frustrating not to be able to use the full production," he says. "I know that we could give the crowd so much more."

The castle fits into the storyline of his latest album, Abigail (Roadracer Records), which will be featured prominently in tonight's show. The record is a horror-concept album Gothic enough to make Edgar Allan Poe blanch. Set in 1845, it's a spooky tale of dark horsemen, possession and revenge most foul.

King claims that the premise, song titles (including "Funeral" and ''Omens") and lyrics for Abigail sprang full-blown into his mind on a suitably dark and stormy night last year.

We leave you now with the final couplet from his opus:

"That is the end of another lullaby

Time has come for me to say goodbye."

« Last Edit: July 22, 2015, 05:32:24 am by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Promoters cancelled a concert by Mercyf'ul Fate, a Danish heavy metal band led by an avowed Satanist and lyricist of songs entitled "Nuns Have No Fun" and "Into the Coven".

DiCesare-Engler Productions said Tuesday it scratched Mercyful Fate from a triple-bill concert Thursday at the Syria Mosque. Motorhead and Exciter, two other heavy metal bands, will play the concert.

"They told us we had satanic content" said Mercyful Fate road manager Hans Castensmith. "That breaches freedom of religion, freedom of speech, you name it. We may have more graphic satanic content than some bands, but satanic content is satanic content."

A spokesman for Dicesare-Engler, Ed Traversari, would not confirm that the band's apparent devil-worshipping stance was the reason for the cancellation.

Mercyful Fate lead singer King Diamond said he is a follower of the teachings of Anton LeVay, the head of the Satanic Church and a man Diamond calls "the pope of Satanism".

Nearly all of Mercyful Fate's songs have satanic themes. One of the group's album covers depicts a young, nearly naked woman being crucified by hooded figures.

"My lyrics are pure Fantasy and imagination." said Diamond, who dresses in satanic garb for most of the group's concerts "Mystery has always fascinated me so that's what I write about. So does Black Sabbath. Because I'm so interested in the mysterious it makes it easy to write lyrics about it.

"Nuns Have No Fun" graphically describes a nun being abused by "an evil man". Jane Wartoke of the Wartoke Agency, the group's New York publicity firm, said the cancellation is the first on Mercyful Fate's current 21-city tour.

"We're stunned and we think it's funny that in this day and age that a rock ‘n roll group could be banned on philosophical grounds. "We've had no trouble with Mercvful Fate in any other cities." she said.

THE GETTYSBURG TIMES, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

I do recall a similar interview where King explained his beliefs like above and said how the lyric to the song Killer where he says "I should have never been born" was wrong due to how he says we must all experience all feelings before our powers can move on including the feeling of killing or even rape BUT to not go out and do this as it happens naturally and may have been done ten lives ago for all we know. And we may experience it by killing in a war or a judge sentencing someone to death as feelings can be experienced in many ways so he said now that lyric is wrong

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Unlike many of the early ’80s Black Metal bands, King Diamond has always been an unrepentant Satanist. “I joined the Church of Satan in 1988. If you go by the Satanic philosophies, you realize that each of us is an individual. Each of us is one of a kind, with our own likes and dislikes. Way too many people judge each other by religious beliefs. People should judge each other by personalities because, after all, that is what counts. Religious beliefs should be kept to yourself. I respect all religions as long as they do not try and force me into what they believe or look down upon me because I do not accept the same god. If people would just stop for a half a second and think that if we were all exactly like each other, it would be worthless to live. Likewise, if the world was a paradise. There has to be two opposite poles.

King Diamond’s occult experiences began at an early age. One such experience was in the early days of Mercyful Fate after the recording of their first demo. “Kim Ruzz [Mercyful Fate’s original drummer], my brother, and myself were in my apartment in Copenhagen. We’d just finished recording and had bought a bunch of beers. We were waiting for the other band members to arrive and then we were going to listen to the tape. But we couldn’t decide if we should go ahead and listen to the tape without them or wait. Suddenly, my brother’s glass rose a foot and a half in the air. Then the glass lowered slowly back down to the table. It was really a simple thing. Everyone in the room saw it.”

But Diamond has an explanation for such occurrences. “Every person has a power inside of them. Call it a soul or whatever. I think that this power will have to live through many lives until it has experienced all there is on this earth before moving on. With each life, more power and information is stored. Sometimes, these powers can actually cross over and manifest themselves in this world. Rituals can channel the forces that surround us all the time.”

I respect the powers of the unknown and will not abuse them in any way. My reference point is "The Satanic Bible" by Anton Szandor LaVey which consists of 70% philosophy and 30% magic.

One difference between the works of Mercyful and his band King Diamond is that all of King Diamond’s releases have been concept albums. The Graveyard continues that tradition. “The Graveyard is a very deep and strange horror story. I think that is the most horrible and nasty story I have ever written. But, even when it gets darkest, I guarantee you will laugh your ass off! There are also some parts that are really going to hit you deep in the heart. I’m a character in the story. I will tell you a piece of the tale.”

“One night, I witness a child molestation in a graveyard. I report the guy but the small town blames me. I freak out so bad that I am thrown into an insane asylum. I am imprisoned here for several years and during my stay half of my brain is literally taken. I manage to escape by not taking my medicine. I run to the woods and find a graveyard next to a small church. I commit three murders here. I cut off my victims heads and put them on the wall. For if you are beheaded in a graveyard, your soul can not escape the body and must creep into the head. The heads on the wall begin to whisper to me. I decide to kidnap the child I saw being abused and bring her to the graveyard. I dig up seven graves and bury her in one of them. Her father comes to free her but there must be justice for what he has done. I give him three chances to find the grave that his daughter is buried in.”

King Diamond stops his storytelling and gets a little serious. “I will tell you that many of the songs have double meanings or contain jokes hidden in them. I think child abuse is an important issue that is not talked about enough in our society. On The Graveyardthere will be a phone number for victims and their families to call. If it helps just one child, it will have been worth it.”

« Last Edit: July 22, 2015, 08:04:05 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

I know why I don't wear gold.. Often to extract the flecks of gold people use mercury which is toxic.

I saw a special on a man in the rainforest taking the earth putting it in a barrel then adding mercury and stepping into the barrel to extract the tiniest ball of gold to feed his family...then he took the barrel and spilled it on the rainforest floor. It made me cringe to think that's the cost of wanting something like gold .. Don't know why king doesn't but that's why Iwont.

Felicia: Wow interesting! I am still laughing at the part where Jehovah Witnesses came to Kings door to preach the almighty power of god but then get scared of his necklace! They actually ran away due to Kings Satanic necklace wow!

I always assumed many people discovered Satanism due to King but seriously I had no idea just how many! If I had a dollar for every Satanist who said they discovered Satanism thanks to King I swear I would be a very wealthy man right now.

As one interviewer told King he should write the sequel to the Satanic Bible. Put in his philosophy and his ritual magic beliefs and practices to get results, and about the supernatural, what he believes there powers and demons are and how to summon them, etc.

I also always wondered what King meant about how doing satanism the way christians think of them is dangerous as they treat the powers with no respect? And how does he mean exactly that by telling us fans about the powers it can lead us to a better life? King says to respect the powers but his lyrics always portray them as being evil which is not showing them respect and makes it seem like people should not deal with them which goes against his comments that his lyrics are to open people up to these things as it could lead to a better way of life

I noticed in early days he says Satan is a power, and power of the universe. Then later he says it is Powers plural which he says is different than just a power

One thing though is why does King always mention the phrase Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law? That is not a Satanic phrase nor did Crowley create that phrase like King says. It was around before Crowley he just used it. And Satanism opposes that phrase as they point out all the time as Satanism is about control and being responsible and not doing anything you want

Also interesting in the audio interview he talked about how lights always go on and off during shows that nobody can explain as well as in the dressing room when talking about it. During a show I have on video that happened and King asked the fans if he should continue in the dark which of course he did.

Also of interest King says the glass rising in the air was the powers saying they are behind him but it was not Kings glass that was lifted it was his brothers glass so maybe it was the brother the powers are behind. Plus if these spirits just live in his apartment then how can they be his guides and protectors since he has not lived there in many years now and they are still back in Denmark haunting all the new tenants that live in that place instead of being with King on his journey. They were always there, but not for him.

And he said he looks forward to meeting the spirits of his parents and cats again in the after life. But if we all come back to live several lives on earth like he said then they would not be there when he crosses over.

And is King Saying he believes during Satanic Ritual it is spirits and souls he is somehow contacting and for some reason they feel compelled to use their powers to get him or any satanist their desires? And does he feel they are separate spirits or part of him since he says they are one and the same. Does he think rituals are ways to contact the powers of himself from his other lives that are part of him only instead of being other spirits or powers. I was surprised too that he had a tiny altar that also did not have most of the ritual items listed in the Satanic Bible

King also says he respects all religions and all religious people but then says he wears the inverted crosses as it means the reverse/opposite of christianity. Plus he has the most blasphemous lyrics and stage shows ever seen like calling god and christ deceivers and holding in contempt christianity and a million others I could mention if I had all day. Not that I am against that or King. I love King and his philosophy it just seems confusing at times. Like he says Satanism and his spiritual beliefs are not religions. Then other times he does refer to Satanism and his personal spiritual beliefs as his religions? Plus he sings into a Holy cross his Satanic lyrics which is very blasphemous.

And that famous letter he has from LaVey that he says is private between he and Lavey but he brings it on tour to show everyone except us lol

And King said once they tossed everything off of his altar that made loud noises like lots of bottles breaking but according to people who have seen his altar he only had a couple of items on it so how could that make so much noise?

And if King knows they are spirits then why does he call them the Powers of the Unknown or Powers of Darkness? And if they are just human spirits then is he saying spirits are the only powers or does he believe there are other powers besides human spirits which it seems he does, and if so what are these powers? And what makes him think they exist? and if he believes these powers and him are one in the same then why does he worry so much about using them too much in ritual or in any other way?

One other thing of interest is he says we have to experience every feeling even the bad to reach a higher place. But why does a person have to feel what it is like to be raped and tortured and all the hate and fear that goes on? I do not want to spend eternity in a place where I have to feel all that horrific stuff in order to be able to live there for eternity! What kind of a place is that? Sounds horrible!

Also wonder when he talks about the initiation to Satan being too long to sing about so he used various different ones for the song. Wonder where he got all of those from and where he saw the real long version one at. My guess some if not all came from the Black Arts Book.

He once said spirits stay in the graveyards and all have duties there. But that goes against his own beliefs that souls live many lives so how can they do that if they are stuck in a graveyard working all the time?

Also interesting he said in one of the early interviews above he saw and heard spirits. I know he said he felt them and saw them move things but he never said he ever actually saw and heard them I would love to hear more about that! He said it about rituals too so I wonder if he meant he saw and heard them during rituals.

And why does King say they only have power when it is dark? Do people really think that the sun and the daytime really effect them. They do just as much during the day as they do at night. It may seem like they are more active at night but only to us. As experts have said because at night things are calmer so it may seem like they are more powerful just as radio waves are. But it has nothing to do with the darkness at all. Just like magic. It may seem better to do rituals at night as things are quieter and calmer but frankly I have had to do some rituals in the middle of the day with the sun coming in and trains blasting by my place and the results were just as fast and strong as the ones I do at night.

King says he does not believe in good or bad powers but Livia has said she has had experiences with evil powers so there must be good and bad ones and even King himself says he sings songs warning us not to deal with these spirits as many are evil.

How ever the powers did recently say "DAMM U" to King so maybe the mutual respect is gone for some reason now. Maybe that is why they have no longer been his protectors like King believed them to be in past and might explain all the health issues King keeps getting. Or maybe because he once told a spirit to go away when all it was doing was caressing his face but he was upset that night just because of an album cover which seems to upset him a lot I noticed.

King: We were rehearsing the day Metallica played in Denmark, we went to that show later on but in the day we were rehearsing and we got to the last song ‘Black Horseman’ and it was the very end and something was moving out camera around – it was actually sitting on a flat case up, way up in the theater and our lighting engineer was standing in the center of this row and even have pictures of where the flat case was up there.The weird thing is was the camera was actually suddenly moving down, it was pointing downwards, meaning it would have gone into the case, I don’t see that possible and then it moved back up and it was moving a little and some inverted crosses were lighting up on stage and it started focusing in on those and then it stops as if nothing else happened from there on. If someone had moved it around even if there had been a person but there was no one but our lighting engineer there but if someone had moved they could not hold it physically, they could not hold it that still, it’s impossible.There was no one there and twice that same day something had screamed at our lighting engineer behind him, there was no one in the theater. He showed me his arm with the hair standing and he said “God man I’m telling you there’s stuff here” and then we show people the video and they’re like “Whoa.”We also have a photo – I went out Monday I did a turn around and went to L.A. and did ‘That Metal Show’ and it was just killer, so many cool people there it was Mark Tremonti was there, Alter Bridge, Doug Aldrich from Whitesnake was there and the guys from the show and everybody there was just awesome. It was a great experience but we got to show a picture from Sweden Rock Festival, it was the weirdest I’ve ever seen.It’s me sitting with a lantern on a platform in front of the drum riser and our actress Jodi Cachia, she’s from Philadelphia she should have been standing behind me but all you see he one leg up to her thigh the rest is not there, we’ll post that up on our Youtube channel as well so people can clearly see it. It was taken by a Norweigian called Hoken with a super digital camera, double exposure is not a possibility, you can’t cut your leg off and leave it behind and then move the rest of your body so quick that the camera doesn’t pick it up. The picture is physically impossible unless you’re living in a parallel universe or something and she was in another universe for a split second coming in right when that photo was taken.I don’t know if you’re familiar with that show ‘Fringe’ I’ve seen it quite a few times, I like it, it deals with these possible parallel universes and if that was the case we should call Fringe [laughs] to take a look at this area because it is freaky. I saw it at night time in my hotel in Denmark and we were discussing whether we should call Jodi at her hotel and ask her to be careful in the next couple days in case she has an accident and might lose her leg or something. It almost felt like seeing a snapshot of ‘The Omen’ movie but it’s the weirdest thing.It looks like a shadow of her leg of that one leg that is shown, it looks like there is a shadow up against the drum riser but when you zoom in a little that a black clone of it. There’s a shape from the one kick drum where all the shiny metal stuff and the outside of the kick drum you can’t see it’s shiny only on one of them. It’s so weird but you should definitely try to check it out once it goes up on our Youtube channel of if you can get a still picture from ‘That Metal Show.’ I think ‘That Metal Show’ will air not this weekend but next weekend. It airs pretty soon.There’s so many weird things that follow us. I could tell you more stories but it was so funny Andy LaRoque said to me “Well duh, it’s not that strange, take a look at the set. It looks like a big antennae for The Occult.” It really does, it’s a pretty big set, very dark but it’s fun.

Strange thing is when Livia went to download the photo you get a code and she came in and said to me "You are not going to believe what happened". The code that came back said "DAMM U" and even the people from the website contacted us and said they saw what happened and said they had nothing to do with it and that the codes always include mostly numbers and not just letters. Even they were freaking out over this. So I said to the powers that they need to chill out. I am showing that photo to show people and open their minds to these things so "They" just need to relax. But their has always been mutual respect.

Q. It’s going to be interesting to see this new generation of King Diamond fans coming out to the show with their parents who were, like me, probably scared to death when we first discovered you.

King: Oh it’s never been about shock. It’s never been about that. It’s been about LaVey and that philosophy. I carry a personal handwritten letter from LaVey with me at all times on tour. I mean, I have it with me always. There’s a thing in what we do – it’s a certain mood about the whole thing. Once the front drop goes and the intro starts, and you see what it looks like I guarantee you’ll get thrilled and chills. It’s very powerful I can tell you. Just to see what it looks like when the whole thing starts. The anticipation that you’re gonna have when that thing drops, and then you’re gonna see what it looks like will give you this “Oh man, what now? What now?” Then when it starts and it starts going, and you get thrown left and right and back and forth – it’s very, very precise what we do. You go see it the very next day it will look just the same.

« Last Edit: September 30, 2015, 08:55:18 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Kerrang #75 1984. This is the interview where Dave Dickson tries to mock the King and Mercyful Fate.

Dave Dickson: Is the Oath noticeably different from "Melissa"?

Hansen: It's far heavier and the songs are better all around

King: The arrangements are better. You'll find when you listen to the songs that they fit together better. I think our song writing has really developed.

D.D. Has that come about through rehearsing or what?

Hansen: A combination really

King: Yeah, we rehearsed more and by getting more experience on the road you get more confident. Three gigs in a row is worth 30 days rehearsal.

D.D. And doubtless you'll be touring?

King: As soon as the album's out, we'll start touring Europe playing about 1000 capacity halls. Some places we might be playing 2-3000 seaters, it depends on which country and how big the interest is.

D.D. Let's hear about what went down on Manowar's U.K. tour earlier this year. What happened guys, quitting after only one gig? (MF’s basic gripes were outlined in Mayhem, issue 64 - lack of sound check time, no access to the mixing desk, limited PA, etc)

King: We can't accuse anybody because we don't know, but we have an idea. I think that Paul Clark (Manowar's tour manager) must have been involved because when we'd finished the gig and moved our gear from the stage we were suppose to put it in Manowar's trucks for them to truck it out. But Clark said "You're not putting your gear in our trucks! Martin Hooker (MFN boss) was standing next to him and he went mad and said "What the fuck are you talking about? We paid so much money to get you over here and you agreed to truck Mercyful Fate's gear!" 'Oh, you must’ve misunderstood, Martin!' Clark said, and then he just walked away.

So we decided that quite a few things had to change if we were going to go on with the tour. If things had stayed as they were we'd have lost a lot of fans in England, because they wouldn't be able to recognize any of our songs, and we'd have lost even more money because we'd have had to hire a truck and staff. (Manowar compromised, apparently, and offered to carry Fate's gear ON TOP of their trucks. Big of 'em, eh?) In the end, we just went straight home and lost the 1500 we'd paid up front

D.D. So why the screw up?

King: I think they were afraid of us because we were told they needed a band who could sell tickets for them on the tour, so they had to bring along a group who had a name. They were on MFN and MFN suggested us and they said "Yeah OK". But from what we heard we had sold more tickets than they had, and if we could get that information then so could they.

Actually we had a good laugh at them, just hearing them before they went on stage. 'We are Manowar, we fear NO-ONE!!' But that's exactly what they were doing, they were scared as hell!! And then they started putting on Johnson Baby Oil and working on their muscles ready to go onstage, going out to pose in front of an audience instead of playing, it was so silly.

(King had once told another journalist from Kerrang that "I find the philosophy of 'Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law' very appealing because it gives you the freedom to be yourself." And this is the reason why Mr. DICKson is trying to make a fool out of King and the band.)

Dave Dickson: In quoting that phrase "Do what thou wilt" you seem to have confused Satanism with Thelemism

King: With What?

DD: Thelemism

King: I have never heard of that. What I am taking my stand from is the Satanic Bible. I found out after I read it that it was exactly the way I was living.

DD: But you are a practicing Satanist?

King: Yes, But what’s practicing, what's that? I don't pray to Satan. It's more like a way of living. And there is the spiritual thing where I have been given a lot of proof about spirits and forces that exist, another part of Satanism altogether.

DD: But that phrase has nothing to do with Satanism at all?

King: Oh yeah it does. Maybe it has something to do with another thing but it's

DD: It is a phrase Aleister Crowley concocted, and he was not a Satanist

King: Yeah but OK let's say it is in the Satanic Bible and it's a phrase that may not have been created by a Satanist, but it is a phrase that a Satanist would go for so it's been incorporated.

DD: Do you have a magickal grade?

King: No, I don't

DD: This is confusing, how can you be a Satanist and not practice magic?

King: I cursed Manowar! But I am not doing too many ceremonies back home because I am not into the occult or in a coven, in Denmark there are no covens. There might be one, but it's fake. There Satanists in the way Christians think of them and that is dangerous because they play with powers they should not play with. They treat the powers without any respect and that is very, very dangerous.

DD: So you are performing rituals without any magical grade and without any proper schooling?

King: No, I am what you say self taught.

DD: Then how do you know what you are doing is correct?

King: Because I have it in words exactly what to do written by the High Priest of the Satanic Church

DD: Do you believe you can control the forces you call upon?

King: If you do the rituals in the right way and you believe hard enough and you are sure these powers exist and you have respect. You really have to respect them for this incredible power that they have, then you will be able to control them, but that is only if they like you.

DD: Do you realize that each time you get onstage or talk about it like this you are breaking the law of silence?

King: I don't think there is a magical law of silence

DD: But there is!

King: I don't believe in it. The message I have for people in my lyrics and stuff is: I am not preaching Satanism, but I want people to be aware of the Powers because they might lead them to a better life. They might understand more.

DD: A lot of things went wrong around Jimmy Page who is a very high magician; you are approaching it essentially from a layman's angle. Are you not worried that things might go wrong?

King: No, because I believe so hard that I know what they (The Powers) feel towards me. I know we are one and the same. The Powers and me. I have nothing to fear from these powers. I am not a magician. I would like to be in a coven where you can do regular rituals because just doing rituals back home is not the right way to do it.

DD: How would explain the phenomena that have occurred around you?

King: From the first experience I had I think these powers wanted me to know they exist, probably because they knew I might be a faithful believer. I think they come to you and show themselves when they know you are capable of handling it.

DD: But you perform rituals without any proper schooling!

King: I think I know how to control them, that's why I do it. I feel I am doing the right stuff in the right way

DD: Doesn't what you do onstage amount to a ritual? At that infamous Girlschool gig where the singer got electrocuted you actually invoked a spirit!

King: No, that's not the way I do it. I welcome them to join in the hall. I don't invoke them in that way. I was singing in the mike she was knocked out by! Nothing happened to me at all. It was a really weird experience because I had no idea that a thing like that might happen to the poor girl who played after us.

DD: But to call up any spirit you must perform the lesser banishing ritual to ward off an evil spirit. If you don't do that you could be opening doors to almost anything that wanted to come in!

King: Yeah

DD: Which is dangerous

King: But I don't believe there are good or bad spirits. I think they are the same and they react depending on whether or not they like a person

DD: That's why you need some basic control, the basic safeguards, you see in a gig situation which is pretty much a magic ritual itself you have got an awful lot of energy trapped, so if you then call up Satan or whatever without the proper procedures for safety it can be dangerous

King: But again I don't call them like that I invite them

DD: Invoke/Invite it's the same thing

King: I am not inviting them in a way of a ritual. I invite them in because I feel one and the same with them. I do not believe they will hurt the people who come to see us. I don't believe they are coming down to hurt people because that is not the way I am directing them with my thoughts. I believe so strongly that we are one and the same that they will never harm me or what I stand for.

DD: What about the people around you?

King: I think none of them should be hurt of course. I am thinking come down and join us we are having a fucking good time here tonight so come along and have a good time too. I don't believe they come to hurt someone when they come to have a good time

DD: OK but at the end of the gig those things are still around

King: Well I don't think that is really my concern

DD: But you called them up! And invited them in!

King: I invited them in for the concert so if they come because I invite them they should go when the stuff is over. But I am amazed that you are into this stuff. Have you studied it or are you just interested in the occult?

(My understanding is that at the end of this interview Dave Dickson wrote some more remarks against King and that King wrote some stuff he wanted Kerrang to print in response to that, but they did not do so. I would love to know what King said.)

« Last Edit: September 26, 2015, 07:18:06 am by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

It's always interesting to read pieces of history like this! But I find it hard to believe that King never heard of Thelemism or Aleister Crowley before! It's pretty much one of the very first things you ran into when you're approaching to the occultism! Moreover, it could mean nothing, but the popular song Mr. Crowley from Ozzy Osbourne came out in 1980, six years before this interview! And we know King was very into Ozzy's solo career! Is it not the case that, when he published the interview, that guy altered something to make fun of King?

But King is into Satanism which has nothing to do with Crowley. I studied the occult for a long time before reading Crowley myself. King did read about Crowley later though and said he could not relate to any of his philosophy.

Now that said it is odd that if he did not know about Crowley at the time of this interview then where did he get the phrase of "Do what thou wilt"?

« Last Edit: September 26, 2015, 06:24:22 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Now that said it is odd that if he did not know about Crowley at the time of this interview then where did he get the phrase of "Do what thou wilt"?

It seems to me that it's quoted in the Satanic Bible. However, I don't believe King didn't know the song Mr. Crowley! It was (and still is) very popular among metal fans! In my opinion, there is always room for doubt when your statements are written by someone else! And to me it's pretty clear that this guy was trying to make fun of King!

I don't think it says DO what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law in the Satanic Bible. In fact Satanism is against such a phrase which is why many satanists do not understand why King mentions that phrase all the time. As far as the song by ozzy it is just a song. I know many who did not know who this Crowley person was that he was singing about as they were not into the occult. They thought it was just a character ozzy created for the song

But yes Dave clearly had a silly agenda of some kind for some childish reason and this was talked about a bit in a great book called "Lucifer Rising" which also had a great interview with King by the Satanist who wrote the book. One of the things King pointed out when asked about mingling with these powers King said, Does he know the rituals I have done or the results I got?

I know King talks about respecting these powers but LaVey and many other Satanists stress it is more about demanding your results. You command the forces or else they will mock you instead of getting you your desired results. Maybe that is what King meant about needing to be able to control and direct the powers is by taking control of them with your demands and command that it will be done no matter what

Also people always seemed confused what King means when he says Satan is the Powers of Darkness or the Powers of the Unknown. He has made it pretty clear that the powers are what we have inside of us that we take with us through several lives and to the Other side which is the unknown part as even though he knows the Beyond as he calls it exists much about it is still unknown to us

Now King says these spirits are still connected to the bones he uses as a microphone and the skulls and that he respects these powers and yet he kisses and licks and makes out with those skulls and bones! And he says he does not believe in good or bad spirits but then he has talked about negative spirits like the one he invoked during a show once so he does seem to think some are good and some are bad

« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 05:17:06 am by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Let's set the scene. I had championed Mercyful Fate in print for a year when offered the chance to go out to Copenhagen and meet the band, for a feature in Kerrang!. This was to coincide with their first ever UK gig, in London at the Clarendon Hotel on March 19, 1983, as well as the imminent release of debut album Melissa. About five years later, I recounted the night's events for a Metal Hammer satanic special and...well, it's all here.

There's none more properly Satanic than King Diamond. We all chuckle when anyone connected to a band declares themselves to be a Satanist. Usually this is done to gain some kind of credibility with the fans and the media. Most of whom have no notion of what being Satanic actually means anymore than they know anything of the general theory of relativity. From Ozzy to Black Metal church burners many have professed themselves wedded to the Dark side, but usually it just means they forgot to pay the electric bill. However King Diamond, now there is another beast altogether with a very definite black fur. Because this is a believer. A proclaimer. A disciple of the lord of the flies. And he is not kidding around. Let me tell you a story.

It was early 1983 when I flew to Copenhagen to discover the truth behind the public face of King Diamond. The Mercyful Fate front man showed up to meet myself and photographer Ray Palmer at a coffee shop in Central Copenhagen without his trademark make-up, but was sporting earrings shaped like inverted crosses. Ray and I were to spend the night with King at his flat, and bassist Timi Grabber (now known by his real name, Timi Hansen) asked me if I was freaked out by spirit. Because if I was King's place was not going to be fun for me. It was then I realized he wasn't talking about an endless supply of vodka or bourbon, but those otherworldly spooks.When we arrived the first thing I noticed was that there were no light bulbs in the place, none at all. We were feeling our way by candlelight (t was already dark by the time we got to the flat). King explained, “I don't like electrical lighting as it drives away the spirits, and I love to have them near me”.So we sat in the half light, half shadow chatting away for hours, as the King talked openly about his devotion to the Church Of Satan led by Anton LaVey, and how he regularly reads The Satanic Bible which was resting on his Satanic Altar in the darkest corner of his living room. His copy of The Satanic Bible even had burnt edges from being used in satanic rituals -this was authentic devilry. Also on the altar was a black altar cloth, two black candles, a human skull called Melissa (permanently borrowed from a local hospital) and an inverted cross that King had stolen from a church. Also in the room was a pencil drawing of a nun masturbating with a crucifix. King was very proud of this, and had it fixed to the door leading to his bedroom. Who said nuns had no fun?

As the evening progressed, lubricated by the wafting sounds of various underground metal albums, King decided to play a tape, backwards version of Stairway to Heaven. Now, many people believe that you can hear Robert Plant chanting 'My sweet Satan' when you spin the song backwards at a specific speed. King is one of these believers. But all I could hear was... nonsense! It all sounded like Danish spoken by drunk Welshmen. King followed this by playing a tape of an infamous Girlschool concert in Copenhagen, where the band's Kim McAuliffe almost died onstage after being electrocuted.“Mercyful Fate opened for them that night,” recalled King, “and I said at one point, 'Lets bring Satan into the house tonight'. I felt something weird happening. I knew I had invoked a spirit and that it was negative, Satan really did come into the house and the girl almost died because of this.” There again, maybe the microphone Kim grabbed when she got the shock wasn't earthed. Incompetent roadie, or mischievous spirit...who knows!He then went on to explain that being a Satanist does not mean that he goes around killing babies or animals. “Satanism simply means that I understand the powers of the Unknown”.King then made a place for us to sleep on his living room floor, in front of his Satanic Altar. The next day before leaving I spoke to MF guitarist Hank Sherman who told me that he and the other members are really worried about what forces King may unleash without meaning to do so, as he is clearly very serious about his religion.I left there convinced that King Diamond was not a man who dabbled in the Dark Arts simply to gain publicity, he was the genuine article. I have met him many times since then over the years, and he has never changed his beliefs. He is one of the most hospitable guys you could ever meet, but I will never forget that first meeting!

I should add a little more to the above which appeared in Metal Hammer. A record label budgetry restriction was the reason Ray and I both had to stay at King's flat. Contrary to what has been reported elsewhere, Ray wasn't at all freaked out by sleeping there, and didn't dash out the next morning. The 'nun' brought in for a photo shoot with King did sit on my lap, but nothing further happened... well, not a lot. King and Timi thrashed Ray and me at table football (I recall the score was 6-1), but we got our revenge with a triumphant darts display. Ray and I learnt one Danish word while we were there: piszflap (you can work that one out for yourself!).

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Interesting how King talks about how the song a Dangerous Meeting is a warning not to mess around with Ouija Boards and stuff as you do not know what is contacting you. Recently someone I know who is a JW said he once played with a board with a friend and it moved and he assumed the friend was pushing the Planchette so they both removed their hands and it still moved on it's own at a fast pace spelling out things and they freaked and put it away as they did not know who or what was trying to speak to them.

King Diamond, a Danish rocker who subscribes to the late Anton LaVey’s school of Satanism, agrees with Shakespeare’s warning: “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

He can’t rationalize the eerie passing of his favorite black cat Magic at 18. “She was a true soulmate, and it would take nearly an hour to explain the extremely supernatural things that happened that morning she left us,” says the heavy metal singer, who plays the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival in the Bay Area this weekend, backing “Dreams of Horror,” a 23-track best-of collection.

He even had three-ring pendant made in his pet’s honor. “There’s power in that necklace – I’ve had to go to it a couple of times – including when I had food poisoning last year – to make it through,” he says.

Born Kim Petersen, King Diamond never questions the otherworldly phenomena he’s witnessed in his spooky four-decade career, which included fronting Mercyful Fate before going solo.

“I’ve never done drugs in my life, and I drink for social occasions only, but I’ve experienced so much inexplicable stuff,” he says. “I was lucky that I had parents that had had supernatural experiences, so I could talk to them openly without them looking at me as some lunatic.”

The musician has strong ties to San Francisco, where, after a concert one night, he visited LaVey at the Church of Satan’s headquarters, the Black House on California Street. He was a fan of LaVey’s “Satanic Bible,” a self-empowering manual he saw as philosophical and spiritual rather than sinister: “It doesn’t talk about this god or that god as someone you have to do all kinds of stuff for – it’s a way of living, a questioning book, and there’s nothing supernatural in it,” he says.

LaVey gave his disciple a guided tour, and invited him into a sealed, artifact-packed ritual chamber guarded by two Doberman pinschers. “He told me I should probably not pet them, but I did anyway,” he says. “And he looked over his shoulder and said, ‘Ah! Good vibrations, I see!’ Then he actually played keyboards for me, all this horror stuff.”

On tour, King Diamond always carries a handwritten, sigil-embossed letter from LaVey, who typically dictated correspondence.

Some things do frighten King Diamond, however. He mentions the deluge in May that overran Dallas, where he lives. On the night when things got the worst, he says, “There was way more rain coming down than I’ve ever seen, and it was the first time in history they ran out of police vehicles to patrol flooded areas. It was really, really bad.”

Before heart surgery-KD: First, I had to now realize that I wasn’t sure I was coming back. It’s tough to say, “I hope I’ll see you here.” Then really tapping into it. Something special happened to me and I’m not going to tell you the whole circumstances but my wife and I had a black cat for 18 years and her name was Magic. She had died a year earlier. Something happened there that was completely supernatural at the time she died, and we got some power from her in a freaky way. We actually had necklaces made, one for my wife and one for me, they had three rings for the three soul mates. She was more than an animal to us. She was a soul mate. It was so out there. I’m a reasonably strong person, but that power was what I relied on. That power was what fucking pulled me through. I knew my wife was going to be sitting out there, and because I couldn’t wear that chain around my neck, she was going to sit with both chains in her hand, just trying to feel that power.

SC: We should talk about the fact that you and Metallica were in the same studio complex together in Denmark.

KD: Yes, that brings memories back for me of Ride the Lightning, but also Master of Puppets because they were both done at Sweet Silence. They were checking out ideas at our rehearsal because it was in the same building they were working in. We would be rehearsing and they would come in and take over the rehearsal place after we went. I think that they had a few amps and other stuff that they brought up to use. We would be up there hearing riffs before it was released to anybody. I remember one night James and Lars came back to my apartment and we were all getting drunk with Timi and this American girl that was visiting from California. That was at my haunted apartment.

SC: Your haunted apartment? Come on, spill it.

KD: I had a small apartment, it was up on the top floor and it was super haunted. I lived there for quite a few years and lots of people have experienced stuff up there. It’s not just like when you got drunk, it would happen at any time. But that specific night, Timi was with this girl that he had met in California. He didn’t tell her he had a girlfriend in Denmark, so when she came to visit she couldn’t stay with Timi, so she stayed in my apartment.

I slept on my couch in my living room and she slept in my bedroom. Timi came over and he was sitting with that girl on the couch in the living room, and there were bottles all over the coffee table. I had a foosball table in my bedroom and Lars, James and I were playing it. While we were playing, I heard this kabong sound, like things were being thrown around. It sounded like Timi had tried to get up and was so drunk he fell over the table and all the bottles flew everywhere.

I opened the door and said, “what the hell are you doing?” as I was looking straight over at him on the couch. He was sitting there with this girl, who’s whiter than a sheet. I asked them, “what’s going on, man? What’s going on in here?” Then I looked to the left of me, right in the corner there I had an altar with all kinds of stuff on. Everything from that altar was just spread all over the floor. I say, “it’s okay, it’s them. Just don’t worry. Everything’s fine. I’ll pick it up. Just continue whatever you’re doing.”

I started picking all the stuff up and putting it back where it belongs. An hour or two later, that girl – her name was Anita – went out to the bathroom and she was there for 20 minutes. I finally went out there to see if she was OK. I heard her crying in there, and I asked her, “what’s going on? Are you all right? What’s going on?” She says, “I can’t get out. Something’s growling at me and I can’t get out. The door’s stuck.” I tried the handle and it just opened. I walked in there and she told me again that there was something growling at her. We got her out of there. I bet James and Lars will never forget things flying off the shelves that night.

SC: Oh, I bet they remember. Do you still have the apartment?

KD: No, it was rented. I went back there in 2006 and I felt like at the part of The Exorcist where the priest is standing in front of the house looking up. It felt like that, standing and looking up at the windows. I felt like, “are you still up there, all you guys up there?”

SC: So you never went back in?

KD: No.

In reading that king interview he said how the satanic bible is about how to live your life and question things but has nothing supernatural in it. yet he is the one who says ritual are about supernatural powers which is why he does not use them as much anymore as he has so much respect for them other than using the power of his now dead cat in recent years. maybe he meant his personal belief about magic is it is supernatural

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

King talks a lot about how he believes we all have a power in us that lives many lives in order to experience everything there is too experience. I wonder if he has ever read any of those "Seth" books that are so famous where this entity Seth who is a power that has lived many different lives in different realms including this one dictated a series of books explaining everything about the universe and why we are here and life and death and a million other things as it seems to fit Kings beliefs

I knew a LaVeyan Satanist in Michigan who used some sort of occult magickal method to discover her past lives and how she died in them or in one case was murdered.

Once King said how you can throw these powers at people and I always wondered what he meant like how can you throw spirits at people?

I also wonder where he got the idea that spirits are bothered by electrical lighting. I never heard that before. they seem to like playing with electrical things. And if these powers all return to the other side then come back to live another life in human form then why do so many ghosts seem to still be stuck in their form from their most recent life on earth? and attached still to that former life I wonder

Someone told me once that all of these experiences King has with spirits are just things he created with his mind. For example they said when he summoned that spirit to prove to that girl they were real and it came and pulled her hair and did various other things that it was conjured from Kings brain power and was not an actual spirit.

« Last Edit: April 03, 2016, 09:41:09 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

King Diamond: 'I welcome the powers of the unknown'Denmark’s premier heavy metal export explains how he’s balanced haunted houses, songs about satan and litres of face paint for 30 years

Of course King Diamond’s house is haunted. Given his status as one of the most enduring figures in heavy metal horror, it’s fitting that the Danish musician would have a few skeletons lurking in his closet. He seems utterly unconcerned about his uninvited house guests, too; according to the King (née Kim Petersen), he’s been witnessing paranormal phenomena since he was very young, and casually chats about otherworldly experiences that seem ripped straight from of a Victorian seance.

“I welcome the powers of the unknown. I lived in a house in Copenhagen that was uber-haunted for many years, with flying teacups and things like that; there was a time when I saw glasses rising off the table, and I took it as a sign of something saying, ‘Hey, we’re with you,’” he recalls.

“They have shown themselves to me many times, and still do. We have four hotspots in this house now; they don’t visit often but just the other day, my wife walked into the kitchen after midnight and got a cold breeze blasted at her right when she turned the light on, like something was telling her to get out. She came back and said to me, ‘I guess I interrupted something!’”

Despite a musical career that spans three decades, King sounds more energetic than ever. His soft, cultured Danish lilt remains untouched by even the slightest twang despite decades spent living in Dallas. Though his demeanor is genteel, he’s long dabbled in darkness. In the staggeringly influential Mercyful Fate and, since 1985, in his own eponymous band, King Diamond has explored his fascination with the occult, evil and, yes, Satan, beckoning for us to come ever further into the crypt. Black metal as a whole owes its existence to the King’s deathly stage makeup and morbid atmosphere, and scores of other artists – from Metallica to Ghost – have cited his work as an inspiration. Thirty years into his career, he’s as spiritual and spooky as ever (though decidedly less satanic in his approach).

King Diamond is no stranger to the specter of death. In 2010, a series of heart attacks culminated in triple bypass surgery; recovery proved an arduous task, but an extended hiatus gave him time to heal. In 2012, the King returned. Three years, multiple festival appearances and two compilation releases later, King Diamond has launched a headlining North American tour alongside Bay Area thrash legends Exodus, with the promise of a brand-new album hanging suggestively in the air. He’s keeping mum about it though, preferring to keep a characteristic air of mystery.

“It’s coming out when it’s done. It has to be one that can kill every other album we ever did,” he says.

“Andy [La Rocque, original guitarist] and I have some ideas already, and I have my own recording studio out here, which means that for the first time ever I will have the opportunity to build a 50-voice choir if I feel like it! No one’s there pointing at the clock, saying, ‘You don’t need to make it any bigger.’ It will be amazing to do it this way.”

For now, he’s out on the road on a very special tour – one that shuns the new in favor of the old, and sees him and his bandmates stalking and swaggering theatrically through 1987’s classic Abigail in full (as well as a few surprises that are sure to please Mercyful Fate fans). As he tells us: “Half the set is new, if you compare it to our past two tours; there are six songs that we haven’t played since I don’t know when! For example, Omens was last played live in 1992, at a New Year’s Eve party which I played with three of the Pantera guys: Dimebag, Vinny Paul and Rex Brown.”

The spirit world even follows him out onstage, which is where all the real magic happens. For this current round of headlining dates, he and his crew pull out all the stops. Blessed (or cursed) by a meticulous attention to detail that has him fretting over the perfect shade of black to paint the prop bassinet sitting in his hallway, he spends his time at home overseeing the day-to-day business of being King Diamond. He has no manager; instead he and his wife, Hungarian singer Livia Zita, work in tandem with a supportive record label (Metal Blade Records) and the small army of helping hands that it takes to construct the illusion on stage each night.

The sheer amount of work that it takes to bring the Broadway-level production to the stage each night is dizzying; hoisting the three new backdrops painted by Canadian artist Yannick Bouchard is enough of a headache, not to mention all the lights, props and actors left to wrangle.

“New Abigails are being brought in because we’re filming for a DVD,” King adds. “Everything has to be right and be done correctly with respect to which songs we play and what it looks like. This new Abigail doll is almost scary – everything looks so real these days it’s crazy!”

Despite his stoic exterior, King is quite the talker; we spoke for over an hour, wandering off onto many a tangent along the way. (Did you know that King once owned a pet wolf named Angel, or that he’s written songs about his cats, or that he personally reads every fan comment on his Facebook page?) He sounds like an excited teenager about to jump in the van and hit the road on his first tour, not the seasoned icon he is, nor the 57-year-old elder statesman he’s become.

Still possessed of (or, perhaps, by) that octave-climbing banshee wail that skips from an air raid siren falsetto to a raspy growl, the King comes alive onstage – one moment striding across it with aristocratic grace, the next throwing the devil horns and waggling his tongue during a particularly tasty solo, his face painted bone white and ebony in a diabolical mask that takes him two hours to perfect each night. In that moment, he seems immortal – and judging by his track record, perhaps he is./

I wonder what he means he welcomes the spirit powers in? Does he play with a Ouija Board or does he mean with Satanic Rituals or something.

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME DRAWN INTO SATANISM?"It was through some experiences I had in my old apartment in Copenhagen. We were doing demo tapes for Mercyful Fate, which was when I had my first experience which I could not explain in any other way than that there are definitely powers around us. We were waiting to listen to the first demo -my brother, our drummer and myself, waiting for the other guys. We were sitting around a table and we'd bought a case of beer -we'd only opened one each, so we weren't drunk though. And we were wondering whether we should listen to the tape now or wait for the other guys. All of a sudden my brother's glass rose in the air, then slowly put itself back down on the table. I've used that in some lyrics: you'll find the experience with the glass in 'Welcome Princess of Hell'. I feel very comfortable when things like that happen around me, because I see the spirits as my protectors, almost as guardian angels, and I feel very comfortable knowing that they're still around me. In that song I say, 'I turn off the lights', and then you hear a choir responding, saying, 'We raise our glasses.' I took the experience as congratulations, saying, 'We´re behind you.'"

YOU WERE THE FIRST BAND TO REALLY ADVOCATE SATANISM, WEREN´T YOU?"I guess so. If you look at Black Sabbath, they were interested in the occult, but they were never Satanists. They were like standing on a hill looking over, while I was in the middle of it. Actually I didn´t know anything about LaVey's church when things started happening. At that time I was reading a lot of books about the occult because I was fascinated by that first experience, and a lot of things followed that. But most of the books I read had the same view of Satanism -they slaughter babies, drink blood, whatever. I thought, 'God man, how sick.' But I had the openness that, when I came across LaVey's 'Satanic Bible', I decided to read it and see what the Hell's really going on. That was exactly what inspired the song 'Satan's Fall' -discovering LaVey´s bible."

YOU WERE HARASSED QUITE HEAVILY BY THE ROCK PRESS AT ONE POINT, TRYING TO PROVE YOU WERE A CHARLATAN, WEREN´T YOU?"There was one incident with an English journalist named Dave Dickson. He was so pathetic. It's pretty funny, a guy coming up and telling me that I'm not a Satanist, when I'm a member of the Church of Satan. He kept talking about a guy who claimed never to be a Satanist -Aleister Crowley- who was all he had on his mind. I said, 'Hey, I´m not interested in Aleister Crowley. I´ve heard of the guy, but I don´t know much about him.' This Dickson guy kept going on -'Aren´t you afraid when you mingle with these powers?' I know what I´m doing. 'But you can´t control it.' Did he know what I´d done, or the results? No.But he kept saying, 'You can't do that, you have to follow Crowley, and it's still dangerous,' and so on.I said, 'Why do you keep talking about Crowley?'"

DID YOU GET A LOT OF FLACK IN THE EARLY DAYS BECAUSE OF YOUR SATANIC STANCE?"There was some. There was a priest in Denmark who really tried to finish our careers. Before the first mini-LP came out and we had the chance of appearing on national TV in Denmark. That was a big break, because back then we were nothing. This guy heard of us and wrote to all of the national papers trying to stop us. I got really tired of listening to this guy. We did this mini-LP with this nun being burnt by this coven on the cover. That cover was made purely to discredit that priest. I knew what he´d said when he saw it. He was all over the newspapers saying how dangerous we were to the kids. Then I got my turn because they wanted to hear my side of it. I said, 'Hey, get a grip, man. Try and look at reality. This is just a painting. You guys burnt people or real.'"

DO YOU BELIEVE IN SATAN AS AN ACTUAL ENTITY?"If you´re thinking of this guy with horns and a tail who opposes some good force, then no. For me the word 'Satan' stands for the powers of the unknown, the powers of darkness, that are all around us which we can use for our or other people´s benefit."

« Last Edit: April 05, 2016, 06:52:57 am by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Alice Cooper said you can’t shock an audience anymore, and he’s right: There's not much that hasn’t already been done. Likewise, espousing a Satanic life-philosophy is just another of those things that some metal artists do with (forked) tongue in cheek and others do with greater seriousness. Danish singer King Diamond (née Kim Bendix Petersen) is of the latter variety. His fascination with the occult bleeds from his personal life into his lyrics, yet the most peculiar thing about him is how normal he is. Relatively.

“You could say I don’t have a religious belief, but I’m very spiritual,” he explained via phone between shows on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour, which docks at Jones Beach on July 26. “I have a strong relationship to the other side....It’s not a gimmick thing. It never was. It was always a real thing.”

That might be enough to give a superstitious person the willies, if the guy weren’t so amiable. Residing in a suburban home outside of Dallas (not on a ranch, contrary to popular rumor), he’s not the local Boo Radley one might expect. “I have never had any issues with anybody there,” he says of his Southern surroundings. “Even in the neighborhood, they know who I am and know what I do. They respect, like I think people should, that people are different, and it depends on the actions of a person if they’re a good person or not.” He relates a story about his former neighbors, a priest and his family. According to King (upon whom, he says, the late Anton LaVey personally bestowed “eternal membership” in the Church of Satan), the priest invited him to church only once. “I said, 'All right, thanks, man,' ” recalls King. “The day when they left, he said, ‘Man, I never had any problems with you. I just want to tell you that you’ve been the best neighbor that we’ve ever had.’ ”

'I have a strong relationship to the other side....It’s not a gimmick thing. It never was.'That’s quite a contrast to the Eighties-era, right-wing perception of King’s band Mercyful Fate, which made the Parents Music Resource Center’s “Filthy Fifteen” list of songs recommended for banishment due to subject matter. (Madonna and Cyndi Lauper were also on the list. Their offense? Singing about sex and masturbation.) Suffice it to say, King has never been renowned for family values. But the way he describes his home life suggests he’s much more tender-hearted than his macabre stage persona. He talks at length about his wife of twelve years, Livia Zita, and praises her savvy in managing King Diamond’s social media so her 59-year-old husband doesn’t have to. Zita is about 30 years his junior, which is unusual, to say the least, but King insists they are soul mates. “These things are numbers, you know?” he says about the age difference. “You can find a 40-year-old that looks and moves and behaves like a 60-year-old. And the opposite. I did a deal with the devil, you know, and that’s taught me a lot with that stuff.” He pauses for effect. “I’m joking.”

His connection to his cats runs just as deep. He wrote the song “So Sad” about the loss of his white cat, Ghost, and wears a necklace in memory of a black one, Magic. “I never pass any of our cats in the house without getting down and saying hi,” he says, “and there’s a level of communication with cats that is mind-blowing. Treat them completely like humans, and they’ll give so much back.”

The Magic necklace was a comfort to him prior to the triple-bypass heart surgery he endured in 2010, a procedure that has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for his unmistakably high-register singing voice. “From that bad experience, a lot of good things have come, actually,” he says. “It’s also a matter of wanting it, because during rehab, I could certainly see people that were not willing to give up old ways.” Quitting smoking has had a significant impact on his live performances. “Now, when we play shows, after we’re done, I’m not out of breath whatsoever. Doesn’t matter how hot it is. I’m up and down stairs to the second floor — we have a two-story production — no problem.” And his voice, he says, is “much stronger. It’s much easier to sing the notes. It’s clearer. It’s better than it ever was.”

Near the end of our conversation, he asks when sunset is in New York. He wants very much to perform his “very intense show” at the outdoor Nikon Theater under a dark night sky. He says it’s because his production involves a lot of extra lights. Like almost everything else he’s discussed, this seems natural enough. Then, in his Danish accent, he hints, “Whether you like it or not, it’s going to be different. You have seen nothing like that, ever. Not like that on a stage.” Maybe there are a few tricks left in the shock-rock grimoire.

How does he have a relationship with the other side though I wish that had been explained

« Last Edit: April 07, 2016, 06:59:56 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

Mike: King’s latest story deals once again with Kings Fascination with the “Beyond”.

King: Please understand I don’t particularly want to die, but I am not afraid of death. I have a very clear idea of what I think death’s all about. We are here to gain knowledge and experience over the course of several lifetimes that will enable us to go on to a higher plane of being. There is a power within all of us that will someday join with a larger, greater force. Why does a two-year old toddler get run over by a truck? I feel that when something that horrible happens, that power or soul had gained everything it could so why stick around and waste another forty or fifty years? I don’t know what lives I have led in the past, but I would very much like to sit down with a spiritualist that brings you back in time. I think it would explain a great many things.

Now a religious person when something horrible happens would say something like “It is the mystery of god that we cannot understand or we are not too question him”. That is not an answer. That is just a fancy way of saying “I have no idea so I will just say this instead”.

Mike: So what does King’s parent’s think of the super Satanic doings of their notorious offspring?

King: I found out that my parents have also had some occult experiences before. My parents never called themselves Satanists, but we all seem to believe in the same things which made it easier to talk to them about stuff. My father shocked me when he told me once before he died that he saw his dead father standing at the edge of his bed. My mother knew the exact moment her mother had died. She was doing the dishes and every time she finished a fork and knife they crossed each other. That is supposed to be a symbol of death in the family. Even now if I see two toothpicks or anything crossed I move them. Also my parents had this grandfather clock that stopped running for twelve years which mysteriously started up again right when father died.

Mike: Now about this Satanism business? (Both King and I laugh at this question)

King: I don’t mind talking about my personal life at all, but I have explained Satanism to people about three or four hundred times now and it takes over half an hour every time. You have to strip away peoples misconceptions about Satanism and that is not the easiest thing to do. It’s Impossible to judge a baseball team without knowing the rules of the game. Look at that Geraldo special on Satanism done many years ago. I sat down and explained myself and he used only one sentence from the whole interview. I told him that we certainly don’t want to see harm come to anybody to which he replied “Bullshit”. It’s a shame he never sat down and read the Satanic Bible; he would have seen that Satanism has nothing to do with sacrificing baby’s and animals. He was not interested in being honest with the audience. That is the difference between someone like him and myself. I am most certainly a Satanic believer and I integrate my beliefs into my work which bothers some people. A lot of the stuff is fiction, but a lot of it is also real experiences.

For instance the song “Satan's Fall” I describe the view that most Christians have as soon as they hear the word Satan, they think of evil and that is how most people see it. Sadly many bands portray Satanism that way as well, they have no idea. But the essence of that song is “Use your Demon eyes uncover the disguise” which means if you want to put this stuff down you should know about it first. Read the Satanic Bible then you can make your decision. People who have not read the Satanic Bible should not put Satanism down. I read a lot of books and most of them put Satanism down and wrote things about it that I could not go for at all. Finally I was still curious so I got a copy of the Satanic Bible and read the whole book and it was exactly what I was looking for. I read the Satanic Bible because I wanted to go to the source itself to see what it was really about after reading in the other books about Satanism which portrayed it as being so negative. But I discovered those books were written from a Christian viewpoint. I agree with the philosophies of the Satanic Bible. When I first read Lavey’s books it was the values and way of life I already lived.

In Satanism it doesn’t say that this god is good or that god is bad or that you have to believe in any god’s, nor do you have to believe in the Devil. You pick and choose from many different religions; in Satanism it is whatever makes you feel good. It was nice to see my views written out in a book like that, it is comforting in a way. In LaVey’s Satanism you pick and choose the things that make you happy. If you ask if I believe in using baby’s blood for powerful energy or to summon demons, I don’t believe in that.

Of course there is the magic side to it as well where you perform rituals, which I do at home, but it is not about sacrificing children or animals at all. It is more about feelings, what you feel. It is a very cool lifestyle. Again that’s why we changed some things about our lyrics. We didn’t change the lyrics, I am still singing about the exact same stuff, but we took away those words “Satan” and “Lucifer”. Of course some people now think or say to me “I am glad you are out of that Satanism stuff” and I just smile and say “yeah ok”. But people who know about Satanism know that we have never changed a thing about our lyrics. We are still singing about the exact same things as before, but just without using certain words that were more-straight forward, but the meanings are still exactly the same as they always were. It seems to make it easier for some people to see what I mean by removing those words even though the lyrics and the messages have never changed. In fact, the King Diamond albums are far more Satanic in so many more ways than Merciful Fate ever was.

Mike: Of course

What you get with me is 100 percent real. Being a Satanist simply means I understand the Powers of the Unknown. Satan is a Power, the Power of the universe. I believe there is a dark side within us all and I am very comfortable with that side and I want to explore it in my life and in my music. My music is still heavily steeped in my beliefs. I have done a great deal of studying of Satanism as I would never get involved with something as powerful as Satanism without a proper understanding of what it is all about.

Mike: So what is your quick definition of Satanism?

King: To put it very, very short, it is to live out your feelings, get as much out of this life as you can. Because even though you have your beliefs about what happens at death you don’t know for sure, nobody does. I don’t want to be stopped by some books or bibles saying you shouldn’t do this or that, you can’t make love before you get married, don’t drink, etc. I can’t live by those rules. Some people can and some people think they can and end up being sinners. I don’t believe in sin like that. If you really think about it, 99 percent of the population live by the Satanic philosophy; they live by their natural human feelings and instincts. It is the nature of the beast, the human animal.

Satanism is a philosophy, trying to recognize the motives of other human beings and how to work with that. There is a big void when it comes to spirituality. And for very good reason. Because as I have always said there is no proof. If you need something spiritual in your life, make up whatever makes you feel comfortable because there is no proof anyway. So when I say “Satanic Philosophy” that is what I am talking about. When people read the Satanic Bible they say “Wow, this makes a lot of sense” because it’s logical. It is building on fact, not a bunch of fictitious stuff. For that reason alone it is not a “religion”. It is down-to-earth hardcore facts. Satanic Philosophy has a lot to do with respect for other human beings as individuals. Everyone has their own opinions and different things they like and their own idea’s. I am a Satanist because I am relating to a lifestyle philosophy about how to interact with other people. Religiously am I worshiping Satan? He doesn’t exist to me. What is Satan? What is god? None of it means anything. I can’t relate to it. I have no proof of anything.

Mike: Is Satanism pretty much extreme individualism?

King: Pretty much so yes, but also recognize who you are and appreciate it, try and get the most out of it, without feeling bad about it. Why feel bad about things because what you are doing is natural human instincts. Why is that bad? We are made that way, that’s the way we came out. We have these human instincts and if we don’t live by them we don’t survive it’s as simple as that. And those people who are trying to tell you “Hey go and buy the bible and you will be saved forever”. You will not be saved; you will be the easiest victim of all.

The other thing I like a lot about Satanism is that you are given a wide open space for whatever you want to believe in when it comes to the Other side, the afterlife, the before life or whatever you want to believe in without feeling you are doing something bad or wrong. Which is not the case in most religions where it is follow this or you’re out! Satanism lets you have free mind there which is how it should be. Whatever suits you best you should believe in. It’s not a dictatorship religion of “Do this” or “do that”. The album “The Eye” was about misuse of power in religion. Even though the story was fictionally written it is historically correct. It depicts a lot of horrific stuff done in the name of Christ.

There are a lot of people who might consider themselves Christians, but they don’t act it out like that. Not according to the bible anyway. It’s only these TV preachers who sadly get airtime. I watch that sometimes to get a good cheap laugh you know. It’s amazing the loss of good actors we have within the field. And I am not sitting here trying to condemn anybody, not at all. I am saying if somebody is Christian and getting something out of it without hurting anybody then stick to that belief that’s great. Though I don’t want you on my team.

Another misconception people make about Satanism is that it is a religion, but it really is not. It is simply a logical down-to-earth philosophy. I am not religious in any way, I never was and I don’t belong to any religion. I am an atheist, I don’t believe in any god’s. As a Satanist I am my own god.

Mike: Who is Satan to you?

I don’t believe in the Christian god Satan, or any of the Christian deities like god, jesus or the Devil. The word Satan simply means and stands for the Accuser or the Opposite, which is the meaning behind the inverted Satanic crosses that I wear. Satanism is the Opposite of religion. But when speaking spiritually or the mystical side of Satanism, Satan stands for the Powers of Darkness, the Powers of the Unknown which is the best way to describe these Powers and Spirits that are always all around us. Some people might call these Powers god or the Devil. But I do not believe that there is one all good power above, or one all evil Power below. There are many, many different powers and spirits and they are not good or evil. They react on whether or not they like you. And I always treat them with the utmost respect. I know these powers exist because of my experiences with them. But these experiences are not anything on which to base a religion on.

And many of these experiences have been included in many lyrics. People would be surprised at how many of the supernatural things that happen in many of the lyrics are actually true.

Mike: That’s right you have had some real experiences with these supernatural Satanic Powers?

King: Yes, too many to even count. Not just me though, but also friends, relatives, other band members, neighbors, people from other bands and others. Anything from being grabbed or touched by invisible hands. To hearing weird voices, breathing or growling when no one else is around. Things levitating, being moved around, apparitions and many other strange things. Not just at home, but on the road and in the studio as well. That is why I don’t like to use electrical lighting like light bulbs at home or when recording in the studio. I do things by candlelight only. Electrical lighting drives away the spirits and I love having them around.

Once a girl gave me hard time as she did not believe in these powers. So I summoned one using black candles and the exorcist music and it started yanking her hair, then it started scratching the walls and going through the records on my floor before stopping in front of my Satanic Altar where it took two deep breathes before leaving.

Mike: Have you ever run into the PMRC or any similar groups?

King: We never saw them and I am glad. I hate them. I hate them because they are all stupid ignorant idiots who are only picking on metal because it is an easy target. If you mention the devil in your lyrics you’re a Satanist in their minds. Yet these people say classical music is ok even though the likes of Aliester Crowley often said classical music influenced them. They make me mad and I know that if I had a discussion with them they wouldn’t be able to defend what they were doing at all.

Mike: One person who once wanted to hold a serious discussion with the Satanic Screamer was a certain U.S. priest saying he wanted to convert King so that he could use his fame in a positive way for Christianity. King’s reply?

King: No reply. In any case you get some priests going on T.V. saying that bands who do sing about the goodness of god should also be banned. I saw a priest once on American T.V. saying that Stryper needed salvation, claiming that bands who misuse the name of the lord are in an even more dangerous position than those who sing about Satan. These people say that the likes of Stryper are not going about promoting god in the right way. I would not have minded going on the road with Stryper. I could not care less what they sing about. My only concern with them is that they could have hurt someone when they threw their bibles out at people. Otherwise I don’t care what their show was about. We once toured with Trouble who also promoted god in their lyrics and we saw what they get up to on the road. They certainly were not hardcore Christians. But I don’t mind playing with so-called Christian bands because we don’t preach anything at our shows. The only way to make someone a Satanist is to let that person discover it for themselves.

America is screwed up. I saw a guy once on T.V. who said that god told him that if he did not raise eight million dollars in four weeks he would die. In four weeks people actually sent him six million dollars at which point he went back on T.V. to say that god had given him an extension to another two weeks to raise the rest. These people are more harmful than anything we do, but yet we as Satanists are evil.

I mean a heavy metal concert is very close to a Satanic Ritual because you create a lot of energy and stir up a lot of emotions and people rise to the band as one. But we want the fans to enjoy themselves. We don’t want them playing with a Ouija board or whatever because they don’t know what they are dealing with and that can be bloody dangerous.

Mike: Long before LaVey died you visited him at the Church of Satan correct?

King: Yes, a coven of witches came to our show in San Francisco during the Abigail tour and had a personal invitation for me to go and meet LaVey. And of course I said Yes! We went into his Ritual Chamber at the Black House which had been closed up to re-energize itself, only he had been in there. We went in and I asked if I could speak first and tell him how I feel about things. I talked for at least an hour and a half telling him everything that I felt Satanism was about and what it was not about. When I finished I was like “Well, what do you think”? Without saying a word he took the Satanic Baphomet Symbol off of his black jacket and pressed into my hand. That was an amazing moment I will never forget!

Then he played some wonderful spooky music for me, and we took pictures, and talked about some things that I will never talk about with anyone else. We also wrote some very personal letters to each other and I was told that I could call him anytime I needed day or night whether it was just to talk about Satanism or whatever. We had deep respect for each other. I still have the letters and always bring one with me when I go on tour. His daughter Karla could not believe the personal content of the letters or that he wrote them himself. LaVey would never write letters himself, he would always dictate to someone else, but to me he wrote them on his own. I still sometimes talk to and see members of his family like Karla, Zeena and Stanton. Very nice people all of them.

Mike: I once heard an early version of “Satan’s Fall” and where you would sing “I don’t need your god” you instead said “Satan is better than god”.

King: yes that is true. If you think about it Satan is better than god. Even if you take the worst version of Satanism, what I call the fake Christian version of Satanism it is still better than god. I mean look at all the holy wars, the witch hunts, crusades, inquisitions and on and on. Even now religion is the cause behind most wars. All of the evil done in the name of god and religion over the years it never ever ends.

« Last Edit: August 12, 2016, 01:43:51 pm by SatanKing »

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

King Diamond - When the early Mercyful Fate stuff was written I had a lot of experiences with the supernatural, especially in this apartment in Copenhagen. The song "A Dangerous Meeting" is actually a warning not to mess with the occult. If you don't have someone in there that can really interpret things the right way, it is way too dangerous for young teenagers too fool around with because you don't know what's speaking to you. And if it feels mocked or disrespected, it can give you answers back that can ruin your life. After my first experiences with the supernatural, I went to the library and read a lot about the occult and realized that most of those books were written from one specific viewpoint, where Satanism was always depicted as these maniacs sacrificing virgins. That's insanity.

Bobby Liebling - I was practicing all kinds of Black Arts, and Occult and Satanism and I was a member in the Satanic Church in D.C. . I did lots of incantations and was in an actual coven. One night at my friends house we had several copies of the Satanic Bible and books on witchcraft and the occult and spells. We were sitting around reading the from Satanic Bible and all of a sudden I started to blow a little fog out of my mouth. I was into the reading and hadn't noticed that the room had gotten ice cold. All the pipes in the entire basement formed droplets of water that became icycles. The basement were covered with frost and the entire room was about 25 degrees. And this was within 10-20 minutes. I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. To me it was a sign saying "You are fucking with the wrong thing man". It scared me so badly that I dropped the idea and threw all the artifacts that came along with the game

Logged

"Satanism is about the Powers/Spirits of Darkness/Unknown" - King Diamond

I wonder if King sometimes feels it's a bit tedious to talk about his life philosophy and satanism over and over again in interviews, when he is actually there to promote and talk about the new album. I'd sure feel that way.